


Letters

by magicconchshel



Series: Hidden Lovers [4]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Decepticon!Jazz, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Secret Relationship, this can be a stand alone work, u dont have to read the other works in the series if u dont want to
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:29:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24637606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicconchshel/pseuds/magicconchshel
Summary: While Prowl is in the med bay, he receives a love letter.
Relationships: Jazz/Prowl
Series: Hidden Lovers [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1775692
Comments: 42
Kudos: 156





	1. Letter

**Author's Note:**

> This is a continuation of "Hidden Love." Or at least, it's in the same AU.  
> This isn't as long as I would have liked it to have been, but it was surprisingly difficult to write and I had to cut a lot out so eh.  
> (ALSO I HAD A BITCH OF A TIME WITH ITALICIZING SO IF FORMATTING IS OFF I AM SORRY)

Meister knew Iacon’s Autobot base like the back of his servo. He’d been through these vents countless times, but as of late, it had not been for malicious intent. There was a time where Meister crawled into this base to plant bugs or bombs, but not this time. He hadn’t done that for a while. 

This time he had no capsule with explosives nor microphones nor cameras. This time he had a single datapad. A datapad that was disconnected from any network or satellite. This datapad was made strictly for note-taking purposes. 

Meister preferred to use this model because they offered the assurance that they could not be hacked remotely. His writing on this datapad would only be accessible to whoever was holding it and he fully intended to deliver it straight to Prowl’s servos. 

When he reached his target, he slid the grate to the side and pushed his feet, hips, and torso through the hole. He landed silently onto the desk, not knocking anything over. 

Meister climbed off the desk and arranged the items on it so his datapad was propped up where Prowl would later sit. This was usually how Meister would deliver his letters. He’d wait until Prowl was out, then he’d crawl into his office or his quarters to leave the datapad in a location he couldn’t miss. Sometimes he’d bring a gift as well. Nothing too big or fancy, but something meaningful and discreet.

Once the datapad was neatly arranged, he stood up on the desk again and hoisted himself back into the vents.

Prowl would not be in his office for a while, but Meister had faith that his letter would be safe here. 

* * *

The strong smell of disinfectant that plagued the med bay always made Prowl feel dizzy. He’d always been sensitive to noise and smell, but with his current injury, it was much worse. A support beam in his wing had been fractured, leaving him unbalanced and making his senses heightened. Due to his glitch, his processor could only handle moderate amounts of auditory and olfactory feedback before he crashed. 

Despite his best effort at negotiation, Ratchet had forced him to stay in the med bay, saying he was more prone to a crash if he didn’t. But Ratchet knew as well as Prowl just how anxious he’d become if his processor remained idle. The mere thought of his job not being taken care of properly was enough to send him into a crash. 

“I’m limiting you to ten data pads a day.” Ratchet had said to him. “Try to make them last. If they don’t, I can have First Aid bring you something recreational.”

“That’ll do, Ratchet, thank you.” Prowl answered. “I have a stack on my desk that are waiting for approval.”

Ratchet had employed First Aid for the job. Both he and Prowl trusted him enough to not snoop around.

“Just use your medical override code.” Ratchet told him. “Grab a stack of ten off his desk. I think he has a bookshelf in there too. See if he has anything recreational on there.”

First Aid nodded and went to retrieve the data pads. Prowl’s office wasn’t far. The more vulnerable facilities were placed in the heart of the base to avoid getting damaged from an enemy attack. 

When he got in, he noted how remarkably clean his office was. It made him wary to touch or disturb anything. 

He went to the bookshelf first. It sat next to the door and was lined with datapads and other trinkets. He paid close attention to the crystals. 

With three datapads in his servo, he went to the desk to collect more. There was a stack on either side, each looking relatively even. He was about to take a few when the datapad in the middle of the desk caught his attention. It was laid out parallel to the edge with a stylus underneath it to prop it up at an angle. Could this have been the report Prowl had been working on prior to his injury? 

No, couldn’t have been. This datapad was blue, a contrast to the standard green ones. It might be a recreational one then. 

First Aid picked it up. Prowl would never leave anything confidential out in the open. He onlined it and read the first line, written in a large italicized font. 

_Love,_ it read. 

He blinked. He never would have taken Prowl for a romance novel reader. It piqued his interest, and he continued. 

_ I love the time we spent together in Tyger Pax. I was there on business, vorns before I met you, and it was nowhere near as lovely as when you were there with me. It’s a shame the trip ended like it did. I wish you could travel more often, we have the best of times when you’re away from Iacon (not that I don’t enjoy our time in your quarters, of course.) I’m already thinking about where we should go next.  _

_ Maybe Crystal City? I’ve never been there on vacation. _

_ I hope that you have a quick recovery. I’d hate for there to be any lasting damage on those wings. I have no idea when you will find this datapad, but I hope it to be soon. _

_ I wanna meet you in your quarters again when you’re out of the med bay. I’m sure you’ll have some free time we can spend together. Is there a specific time you want me, or should I surprise you? _

_ With Everlasting Love, _

_ Meister _

Oh.

The datapad nearly fell from First Aid’s grip. His digits shook and his knees felt weak. He couldn’t make his optics focus no matter how hard he tried, his processor was too jumbled. 

He was a medic, he was supposed to be able to keep calm in the optics of insanity, but this? This was a love letter, so obviously written to Prowl, from one of the Decepticons most feared assassins. 

What could he do now? Would he be punished for reading this? Would Prowl be punished? 

Ratchet. He’d know what to do. He had to find Ratchet. 


	2. Discovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly don't know how confident I am in this chapter. I tried to work on the dialogue, and this is about as good as I could get it. I wish it was longer, but I really don't feel like I have a good grasp on Magnus' character. OH WELL, I'M WRITING A 3RD CHAPTER THAT I LIKE A LOT MORE, I THINK?? I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY CHAPTERS THERE WILL BE, IM JUST HAVING FUN WITH THIS.

Ratchet sat at his desk filled with datapads that were loaded with charts and x-rays. As important as those datapads were, the one in front of him topped the others. This one made his shoulders drop and servos go weak. First Aid stood in front of the desk. He could not see the datapad, but he could remember what was written on it and he remembered what it was like to first read it. Ratchet was having a similar reaction to his. 

The young medic tapped his digits together. “So, uh, what’s the plan?” he asked. 

“The plan?” Ratchet raised his helm. “There is no plan. There is no plan or protocol for something like this as far as I’m aware. Not yet, at least.”

“Is Prowl in trouble?”

“Maybe.” Ratchet sighed and rubbed his chevron. “I don’t know.”

Ratchet stood up with the datapad in servo. First Aid had a hard time keeping his optics off of it. He had run all the way back to the med bay with it, leaving the other stack behind in Prowl’s office. It felt like glass in his servos.

The entire office would be scavenged. And maybe even his quarters. Once Red Alert caught wind of this, he’d send in a team to sift through every nook and cranny. Not only that, but he’d probably also initiate a safety inspection of the entire base. In the back of his processor, First Aid couldn’t help but feel responsible. 

“I need to bring this to Prime immediately. In the meantime, I need you to make sure Prowl is in recharge and put him in lockdown. No one is allowed to see him and he’s not allowed out of his room. No exceptions.” Ratchet said. 

First Aid nodded. “Understood.”

“Good.” Ratchet waved him off. “Be quick.”

The younger medic scampered off, leaving Ratchet alone in his office. Once the door closed, he pressed a digit to his audial to dial Optimus and Magnus. 

“ _ I’m calling an emergency meeting in ten kliks. Read the document I’m sending over. It was found in Prowl’s office. Be ready to discuss _ .”

Ratchet shut off the comm. before either of them could reply. He could really care less about whatever they were busy with. Their Head Tactician was compromised. Prowl was privy to the most delicate information the Autobots had to offer. While Ratchet didn’t believe Prowl had betrayed them, he was still worried about what kind of secrets he had left vulnerable to this Decepticon assassin. If the two of them had interfaced, and Prowl had let his firewalls down, Meister would have access to everything his processor has to offer. 

No, no. That was too far fetched. There was no evidence to suggest that the two of them had anything beyond a casual romance. As far as he knew, they had only been together once. Wait, no. 

“ _ I wanna meet you in your quarters again. _ ”

“ _ Again _ ”. Ok, twice. They had met twice. 

Ratchet read the letter over and over again in those ten kliks. He paced around his office and read it seven more times. And on his way to the meeting room, he read it another two. 

He wondered if Prowl would reply to this letter and what he would say. He never took Prowl to be a romantic, but judging by the nature of this letter, the two of them had put in a great amount of effort into this relationship. 

“ _ With Everlasting Love _ ,” Meister had written.

As Ratchet read those words, he opened the door to the meeting room. Optimus and Ultra Magnus were standing next to the table already, both looking at a datapad that Magnus was holding. 

“Ratchet,” Optimus said when he walked in. 

He raised a servo. “I know, I know. Let me explain.”

Both mechs looked up and towards him. Ratchet laid Prowl’s datapad on the table before him. It was still on and he could see the letters written on it that were now burned into his memory. He approached the two mechs, trying to put together a calm demeanor. 

“I know that that file I sent you was disturbing. I sent First Aid to Prowl’s office to retrieve some datapads to keep Prowl busy while he’s in medical. While he was in there, he found this letter. He said it was propped up on a stylus, angled towards Prowl’s chair. When he read it, he brought it to me, which brings us to where we are now.”

After a pause, Optimus hummed, “I see.”

Magnus folded his hands together and leaned forward in his chair. “Are we sure this was directed towards Prowl? This isn’t a literary work that he happened to be reading?”

“No, Meister references Prowl’s trip in Tyger Pax and the wing he damaged while he was there.” Ratchet paused and continued a little quieter, “Now that I think about it, it wouldn’t surprise me if Meister was involved in the injury.”

“Do you think that Meister has harmed Prowl?” Optimus asked. 

Ratchet waved his servos. “No, no. They obviously left on good terms. If Meister had hurt Prowl, I doubt he’d send a letter like this.”

Optimus’ shoulders deflated and he turned to Magnus. “What information have we gathered on Meister?”

Magnus shook his helm. “Very little. He was always very aloof.”

“Could his disappearance correlate to his relationship to Prowl?”

“It’s possible. Very possible, in fact.”

Ratchet wondered if that was true. And if it was, had Prowl convinced Meister to cease his violent tendencies or was it a choice of his own free will. Either way, Ratchet had no doubt that the Decepticons had exiled Meister by now. That, or they were planning something big with him. The Decepticons would not want to squander Meister’s talents. 

“Ratchet,” Optimus called his attention. “Does Prowl know of any of this?”

He shook his helm. “No, he’s recharging in the med bay. First Aid put him on lockdown.”

“Good.” He turned to Magnus. “Assemble a team to investigate this further. The smaller the better. We can’t have any of this information be public.”

Magnus nodded. “Of course. I’ll let you know if there are any developments.”

Optimus turned back to Ratchet. “I believe it is best to keep Prowl on lockdown for the time being.”

Ratchet agreed, “I think so too. We won’t tell him anything until you give us permission.”

“Thank you for your cooperation. Both of you are dismissed.”


	3. Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smokescreen is such an underrated character and I take every opportunity I can get to write about him.

Smokescreen had been seated for quite some time. He had been given a meeting time the day prior. The notification told him nothing more than to arrive ten kliks early and had a brief explanation along with a document attached. 

To say he was surprised would be an understatement. Smokescreen was getting ready to recharge when he received it. He put down the polishing cloth, read through it, and continued polishing himself. 

Prowl had told him decacycles prior, “I’m seeing someone.”

“Oh,” Smokescreen had replied. “Who?”

“I can’t tell you yet. But promise me that when I tell you, you won’t be shocked.”

He nodded. “Ok, deal.”

He really wasn’t. Being a high ranking Autobot psychologist, nothing really phased him anymore. He had seen and heard it all at this point. Part of what made him so good at his job and what gave him this rank was being able to remain calm in almost every situation. It allowed him to thoroughly analyze every obstacle, something he had learned from Prowl. 

And then this meeting. This Primus damned “meeting.” This was no meeting. They called Smokescreen in to interrogate him. They were going to interrogate him to determine whether or not Prowl had committed treason. 

“Smokescreen,” Ultra Magnus said. “Thank you for joining us on such short notice. I’m sure you’ve read the document by now.”

“I have.”

“We found the file in Prowl’s office, as you already know. We have scanned our databases and have found that there are no matches. This work is unique and was written by Meister. What are your initial thoughts?” 

Smokescreen thought about it for a moment. “I wasn’t really too surprised if I’m being honest. Prowl has been acting differently lately.”

Mirage’s optics brightened. “In what way?”

Magnus glanced at him. They had analyzed Prowl’s work from the past few decacycles, all the way up to Meister’s disappearance. There was no change in quality or consistency. Even with a new mech in his life, Prowl had maintained a solid and consistent work schedule.

“Well,” Smokescreen tapped his chin. “It might be hard to notice for someone who isn’t too familiar with Prowl, but he’s been much more outgoing. Remember when he  _ volunteered  _ to visit Tyger Pax? And before that, he went to Polyhex. He doesn’t stick to the back walls of a room anymore and he actually talks now. He talks even when he’s not spoken to.”

Both Mirage and Magnus tried to picture Prowl’s behavior. They couldn’t. To them, Prowl had been the same since the cycle they had met him. Straight faced, silent, and still. A world where Prowl was outgoing did not exist. 

“And I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but he’s not fainting anymore. He’s fuelling and recharging semi-regularly. Without Ratchet harassing him, I might add.”

Prowl had fainted shortly after he was promoted and transferred to Iacon. Ratchet, not knowing of his habits, whisked him away to the med bay and ran a multitude of tests on his tired systems. In the end, he found that there was nothing wrong with him other than an empty tank and over-taxed systems. He let Prowl off with a warning. 

Not too long after Smokescreen transferred to Iacon, it happened again. Prowl was found by Smokescreen, laying on his back in the middle of his office. He carried him to the med bay and deposited him onto the berth. While First Aid refilled his tanks, Ratchet drilled Smokescreen with questions on Prowl’s medical history. Smokescreen had no answer other than that he has a habit to not fuel or recharge when stressed. 

There was nothing that could be done about it. Prowl was Head of the Tactical unit. Ever since he has been promoted, the Autobots began winning territory instead of barely defending the land they had. To reduce Prowl’s workload would only risk the success of the Autobots. 

Mirage shook his helm. “I’m afraid I have not noticed.”

Smokescreen shook his helm. “I don’t really blame you. Prowl is pretty reclusive, but I’m sure if you look at enough security cam footage, you’ll be able to see it. He’s actually spending time outside of his office.”

Magnus lifted a datapad from the table. “Did Prowl ever allude to a romantic relationship?” he asked. 

“Oh, yeah. He told me he was dating someone.”

“Did he elaborate any further than that?”

“No.”

Mirage muttered. “I assume that Prowl is extremely private. Even to you.”

Smokescreen shrugged. “I guess you could say that. He definitely tells me things that he doesn’t tell anyone else, but I guess that doesn’t say much considering the fact that he doesn’t really talk to anyone else about anything other than work.”

“What sort of things does he tell you?”

“Things he wouldn’t want me sharing with others.”

Magnus leaned forward. “Smokescreen, I’m sure you’re already aware, but this matter concerns the safety of the entire Autobot army.”

“I’m aware that you think that, but you’re wrong. You know as well as I that Prowl would never betray this cause. You’ve seen how he works. He gives up too much of himself to just throw it all away. He’s in this relationship because he wants to be. I don’t know what you think is going on, but Prowl isn’t being manipulated or toyed with. He’s happy and it would be wrong of you to ruin it.”

Mirage stared at Smokescreen, then at Magnus. His superior showed no expression, but Mirage could tell he was annoyed by Smokescreen’s comment. 

“Besides,” Smokescreen continued. “Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted? Prowl’s going easier on himself. He’s working less, but isn’t making mistakes and is meeting all his deadlines. He’s fuelling and recharging. I’d say it’s a fair trade-off.”

“Jeopardizing the safety of the Autobot army in exchange for a grown mech to start functioning properly is a fair trade-off?”

“I’m not too pleased with how quickly you write off Prowl’s well being like that. It’s like you really don’t care about him after all. Let’s be honest, Magnus. There’s no one better suited for Head of Tactics than Prowl. Not even you. I’d think that the Autobots would treasure that genius processor of his. Maybe I was wrong.”

“You’re not. The Autobots have always treated their soldiers well.”

“And yet, as soon as one shows the smallest sign of insubordination, you pounce on him.”

Magnus jerked, he was about to interject, but Smokescreen beat him to it. 

“Listen,” he slapped his servos against the table. “I get it. I get that it’s suspicious. But do you really have any evidence that Prowl’s spilled anything to Meister? And do you have any evidence that even suggests Meister is still with the Decepticons? Because to me, it seems like he defected a long time ago. And I understand how worrying it is to see such a high ranking officer have a relationship with an enemy. Er -  _ ex _ -enemy. But I really think you guys need to take the back seat on this one.”

Before Magnus could respond, Mirage interjected. “Then what is it that you suggest we do?”

Smokescreen hummed. “Well, considering how valuable Prowl is, I’d suggest you leave them be. Ideally, I’d tell you to pretend like you never saw the letter to begin with. But since I know you won’t, I’m going to ask that you make sure this doesn’t get out. To the rest of the army And maybe throw Ironhide in there too, for good measure. I don’t know. If the rest of the army catches wind of this, Prowl will lose all credibility. And don’t keep Prowl in the dark about this either. He’s going to find out that you know eventually. It’s better to just tell him and ask him questions directly. He’ll be embarrassed for a while, but he’ll get over it.”

“Would Prowl end his relationship with Meister if we asked him to?” Magnus asked. 

Smokescreen really had to think about that one. Prowl was fiercely loyal to the Autobots, but if this relationship was as serious as he thought it was, it could bring his dedication into question. Assuming that Meister was neutral, would Prow follow? 

“Maybe. I really don’t know. I’ve never met Meister, but judging by the lengths Prowl has gone to keep this a secret, I can guess that he’s pretty serious about him.”

Mirage and Magnus exchanged a glance. Smokescreen wondered if they were conversing over their comm. links. 

Magnus clasped his servos together. “Thank you for joining us on such short notice, Smokescreen.” he said. 

Smokescreen smiled. “Thanks for having me.”

“If you acquire any new information, please don’t hesitate to share it with us.”

Smokescreen bid them farewell and left the room. As he walked along the hallway, he wondered if he’d given them what they wanted or if he’d led them in circles. 


	4. Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning gamers. this took me way longer than I anticipated. i got infatuated with other projects lol. but regardless, idk if this is the last chapter. it might be. at least for awhile. this au was fun, but I might move onto something else. i hope u enjoy it tho. i tried to make it longer since I have a habit of writing short chapters.

_ “I need you to come to Iacon.”  _ Prowl had said. 

Meister jumped out of his plating when he received that comm. The two of them never communicated through comm. links when they were away from each other. It was too risky. Someone could pick up the transmission and listen in on their conversation. 

He stood up from his seat on the transport. There was no one sitting near him, only a few mecha littered about the cabin. The transport was headed to Tarn. Meister had a few things he wanted to pick up from there. That could wait, Prowl could not.

There was a door in the back of the cabin. Meister opened it and let himself fall from the transport, tumbling a few times before sinking his claws into the ground to pull himself to a halt. There was a faint call from behind him while he fell, but he did not turn to see who it was from.

Kneeling on the ground, he reopened the link to Prowl.  _ “I’m just outside Polyhex. I’m on my way.” _

The transport passed Polyhex’s last station just twenty kliks ago. With his alt mode, he could make it in ten. He could hitch a ride on another transport and go from there. 

* * *

Prowl lifted his helm and took a quick glance around the room. The mecha around him were familiar, and yet, none of them would meet his optics. Not even Smokescreen, who had stood by side, both literally and metaphorically, throughout the ordeal. While these mechs seemed to ignore him, he still felt like he was a target. Ironhide’s sideways glances made him feel hunted. 

Was this what it felt like to be a Decepticon in Autobot captivity? Is this what Meister felt when he was being interrogated? No one dared to lay a digit on you in front of their superiors, so they relied on narrow gazes to intimidate you. 

“I’ve notified him.” Prowl said. It broke the silence in the room and everyone looked towards him. “He says he’s outside of Polyhex.”

“He should be here soon then,” Magnus said. 

When he was still an active Decepticon, Meister exhibited behavior that resembled him being in two places at once. But as Prowl got to know him, he realized that Meister was sharp and knew how to get what he wanted when he wanted it. And so, if an assignment required him to set off a bomb in Crystal City and then set off another in Iacon, he could do so.

“I have confidence that he will be.” Prowl replied. “But he will not make himself known immediately. I predict that he will evaluate the state of the base before revealing himself to me.”

“How does he reveal himself?” Ironhide chimed in. 

Although Prowl’s wings were still damaged, he could feel Smokescreen shift behind him when Ironhide spoke. Ever since his relationship was exposed, Ironhide had acted hostile towards him. Ironhide has a fierce loyalty to the Autobots, but an even fiercer loyalty to Prime. Prowl had no doubt that he was now viewed as a threat. It would take a great deal of work on Prowl’s end to get Ironhide to ever trust him again. 

“Typically, he’d meet me in my quarters. But given the circumstances, I presume he will stake out the brig or my office first. I don’t usually comm. him and I’m sure it came as quite a shock.” 

“How do you communicate with him?” Ratchet asked softer than the others. 

“Letters, usually.” 

It was true. The two of them had exchanged countless letters over the course of their relationship. Meister would write one and leave it for Prowl to find. Then Prowl would write one and leave it for Meister to find. 

Prowl could always tell when Meister was in Iacon and when he wasn’t. When he was in town, his letters would disappear almost immediately and would be replaced within a cycle. He would be overwhelmed with joy whenever this happened and would ask Meister to join him in his quarters sometime. Meister had always complied, but never stayed long. 

“I just got a report from an outpost on the border of Polyhex.” Ratchet said. He was standing in front of a monitor with a map laid out on the screen. “A transporter has just been hijacked by an unknown neutral.”

Prowl repressed a smile. “That would be Meister.”

“I’ll go ahead and dismiss the report then.”

* * *

Prowl was not in his office and the brig was empty. He’d swept the med bay and found that the private rooms were vacant. While Meister knew that Prowl did not loiter in the Rec Room, he did a quick check to make sure before heading back to Prowl’s quarters. 

The ventilation ducts in this part of the base were just big enough for him to squeeze through. He shimmied through the vents in the hallway where the officer’s quarters were and passed several doors until he reached the end of the hallway where Prowl’s quarters were. The Prime was only a few doors away from him. Meister pictured the spark stuttering reaction the Autobots would have if they found out just how close Meister was to their Prime. 

He made the turn into Prowl’s quarters and stopped when he found the vent. The vent was over his couch and seated on one side of it was Prowl. Meister watched him for a few moments. He was reading through a datapad. 

Meister slid the grate to the side and let it fall onto the couch. It was dusty, but Prowl never seemed to mind whenever he did it. Prowl looked up before gathering up his datapads and moving. Meister slipped his pedes through, then his legs, hips, and torso. He hung from the vent for a few kliks before dropping down onto the couch. 

Prowl was stacking the datapads on the table in front of the couch, but before Prowl could greet him, Meister was at his side, servos already on him. 

“I got your comm.” Meister said. “Something wrong?”

Prowl grabbed Meister’s servo and held it in his own. “I don’t know if ‘wrong’ is the right word to use. I’m just glad you’re here. Thank you for coming so quickly.”

“Sure, but did something happen? Is it your wings?” Meister craned his neck to look behind Prowl. His wings looked fine, but they were still in splints. 

“No, no. My wings are fine.” Prowl said. “It’s about that letter you left on my desk.”

“Oh, you read it?”

“I did. But I’m not the only one who read it.”

“Huh?” Meister’s helm shot up.

“Before we continue I want to warn you.” Prowl said. “I’m fairly certain my quarters have been bugged. You may speak freely, just know that it’s being recorded. My position with the Autobots has been compromised and there’s a chance I will be charged with treason.”

Although Meister’s visor hid most of his face, Prowl could see his expression soften. “Bugged, huh? They found out about us?”

Prowl nodded. “Yes. The letter you left on my desk was found and brought to high command.”

Meister’s servos wandered up Prowl’s arms until they settled at his elbows. In return, Prowl grabbed onto Meister’s elbows and continued.

“I was informed of the situation this morning, right before I was discharged from the med bay. They asked me to bring you here, so I commed. you.” 

“Did they do anything to you?”

“No, they wouldn’t. They told me that as long as I was cooperative and did not give you any confidential information, I would be able to keep my rank with the Autobots.”

“Well, that should be easy enough.” Meister smiled. “You ain’t told me nothing.”

“I know, but if they ask me to sever ties with you or try to offline you, I will not be able to remain idle.” 

“Aw, that’s sweet of you,” Meister said. “Do you know what they want with me?”

“I do not. But I assume they will interrogate you again. I have been cooperative and I ask that you do the same.” 

“I will if you will, Prowler.”

“Good.”

“When are they expecting us?”

“I told them you’d be in my quarters by the morning. We still have a few joors and I’m rather tired. Would you like to recharge with me?” Prowl held out a servo to Meister.

“You been waiting for me?”

“Of course. You always find it fun to pounce on top of me whenever I recharge without you.”

Meister laughed softly. “I do.”

Prowl led Meister into the berthroom. It looked like a hotel room. There were a few personal belongings, the bed was made, and the floors were spotless. 

Meister treasured this room. He really did. The first night he had spent here was after decacycles of recharging on transporters with one optic open or finding a warehouse to catch a nap in. It felt like Prowl was gifting him when he allowed him into his quarters and let him recharge on his berth.

Those were in the earlier days of his exile. Now he had more confidence. He no longer feared to rent a hotel room for the night and he had trained his frame to run on only four joors of recharge at a time. But even now, there were certain amenities that Meister appreciated. The shower was one of them. 

They both took opposite sides of the berth. Prowl pulled the blanket back and arranged the pillows so one was at his helm and the other supported his wings. When he laid down, he welcomed Meister with open arms. He reached behind him to turn off the light while Meister settled against Prowl’s chassis. 

“Good night, Meister.”

“Good night, Prowl.”

* * *

Optimus Prime sighed at the sound of Prowl’s voice. He had heard Smokescreen’s interview and was currently listening to the audio taken from Prowl’s quarters. He had never heard his Head Tactician speak in such a manner and had never expected that he would be capable of doing so until now. 

Before, Optimus had always hoped that his young tactician would one day find himself in a romantic relationship, but assumed he was holding out until the war had ended. But now, with this Ex-Decepticon standing freely in the base, Optimus realized that the war did not affect Prowl’s love life as severely as he originally thought. He now wondered if it was a matter of rank. It would be unethical for Prowl to be involved with a Decepticon or another Autobot. The only option would be a Neutral, which was, he supposed, what Meister would now be called.

He could not help but wonder if it was Prowl who had convinced Meister to defect. 

“That’s about where the recording ends.” Red Alert said. 

“Meister’s in there right now and Prowl hasn’t said anything?” Ironhide asked. 

“As far as I’m aware.” Red Alert nodded. “I’ve been watching the cameras and I haven’t seen any sign of Meister relocating.”

Ratchet shrugged. “I say we leave them be until morning. He’s not going to hurt anyone, they’re just recharging.”

“We don’t know that.” Ironhide countered. 

Technically, Ratchet did have a point. There were times where Ironhide’s skepticism could rival Red Alert’s. It was part of the reason why he was tasked with guarding the Prime. 

“True, but we do know that he’s been here before and he’s never tried anything.” Ratchet said. “If you want to break down the door, go ahead, but it won’t do you much good.”

Optimus raised a servo. “We will leave them for now. If we use force to extract Meister, it will only result in retaliation. We have many soldiers who are able to assist if the need arises. At the moment, it is vital that we do not incite Meister. Doing so may provoke consequences we are not prepared to handle.”

What those consequences were, Optimus didn’t know, but he held certainty that Meister had not given up his violent ways. 

He wondered what drove Prowl to fall for such a cynical mech and if it was he who had overworked Prowl to the point where he’d seek comfort in the arms of a Decepticon. Perhaps he had expected too much from him. 


End file.
